VISION

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• VISION
• Building a community where no child is
• hungry, hurt, alone or rejected and
• where all children and youth believe they are
• loved, respected, and treated with dignity.

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BRIEF HISTORY

• In the late 1980s, community groups were focused
  on economic development.
• The Georgetown Project is modeled after the same
  tradition, focusing on human development, by
  identifying and closing gaps in services for
  youth and families.
• By 1995, in an exploding community whose
  population had grown 60 in 5 years, there were
  growing concerns over drugs, alcohol, and
  vandalism on the part of Georgetown youth.

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• A task force including representatives from the
  City, County, GISD, Southwestern University, UT
  School of Social Work, law enforcement, the
  Ministerial Alliance, Georgetown Hospital,
  private health care providers, and local
  businesses met together to find solutions.
• Formed in 1997, this community-wide coalition
  immediately set out to promote active programs
  and services for all youth in Georgetown.

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Today

• TGP continues as a catalyst organization that
  has, through several concurrent projects,
  established collaborative networks to build
  solutions that create a healthier community for
  our youth and children.
• Programs serve over 7,000 children, youth, and
  families each year, and
• TGP provides leadership at the community-wide
  level through a network of 40 agencies which
  meets monthly to identify needs and gaps in
  services and plan collaboratively on how to fill
  the gaps.

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Developmental Assets 101

• Using the Search Institute Model for Community
  and Schools
• the responsibility for building community is
  shared by all and requires collective effort

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Definition of a Developmental Asset

• Factors that are critical for young peoples
  successful growth and development.
• Building blocks to help kids grow up healthy,
  caring, and responsible.
• Much of the work of asset building occurs for
  free. It is the stuff people do in their
  everyday lives. -Peter L. Benson, Ph.D.
• Founder and President - The Search
  Institute

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What you need to know

• Young people are important. They are a valuable
  resource.
• Youth today are struggling to find their place in
  our communities.
• We know what kids need to thrive. The 40 assets
  are essential to success.
• YOU MATTER! Each of us can play a role in
  building assets for and with young people.

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The Asset Building Difference learning to frame
positively

• From...
• Problem focused
• Youth as problems
• Reactive
• Blaming
• Professionals
• Crisis management
• Competition
• Despair

• To...
• Positive Focus
• Youth as resources
• Proactive
• Claim responsibility
• Everyone
• Vision Building
• Cooperation
• Hope

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Eight Categories of Development Assets

• Creating Caring Relationships
• A Chance to Contribute
• Rules and Consistent Consequences
• Time Well Spent

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Eight Categories of Development Assets

• Learning for a Lifetime
• Internal compass
• Life Skills
• Power, Purpose and Promise

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How Many Assets Children Have (Based on Search
Data)
Our youth should have at least 31 assets, the
average is only 18
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Average Number of Assets (by Grade 6-12, Search
Data)
Older youth have fewer assets than younger.
Boys have fewer assets (16.5) than girls (19.5)
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More Assets Mean Fewer Problems

• Our Challenge
• is to strengthen assets
• in all kids!

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Resists Danger
Avoids doing things that are dangerous
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Maintains Good Health
Pays attention to healthy nutrition and exercise
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Succeeds in School
Gets mostly As on report cards
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Fewer Assets Means More Problems(High-risk
Behaviors)

• The Search data suggests high risk includes
• use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs
• early sexual activity
• depression, suicide
• school problems
• violence
• illegal activity

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Problem Alcohol Use
Used three times in last 30 days, or gotten
drunk once or more in last week
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Violence
Has engaged in three or more acts of fighting,
hitting, injuring a person, carrying a weapon, or
threatening physical harm in past 12 months
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School Problems
Has skipped school two ore more times in the last
four weeks and /or has below a C average
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Key Themes in Asset Building

• Relationships are key
• Everyone has a role in helping youth develop
• All kids are our kids
• Youth need to receive consistent messages about
  values and their potential from many sectors of
  the community.
• Moving beyond prevention and intervention to
  building strengths
• Youth leadership involved.

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Our goal is to create community conditions that
protect, nurture, and realize the full potential
of every child and youth in our community.
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• To achieve this, we have formed a groundbreaking
  partnership bringing together business,
  government, faith communities, education, young
  and old.
• Together we have identified the strengths and
  needs of our community.
• Were mobilizing human and financial resources to
  building upon our collective strengths to fill
  the gaps.

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• What we do
• In addition to providing leadership at the
  community-wide level to identify needs and gaps
  in service and developing solutions

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Programming spans

• From childrens activities groups and parenting
  programs and a free lending library of books and
  toys through the Bridges To Growth Resource
  Center. (2,000)
• To a summer food and camp experience for kids who
  would not otherwise get to go to camp. (75)
• To after school programming for at-risk middle
  school students that has led to improved grades,
  better school attendance, fewer discipline
  referrals, and better TAKS scores. (250)

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Programming spans

• To substance abuse prevention through an
  awareness campaign targeting parents and teens
  and providing healthy alternative activities.
  (5,000 parents teens and 20,000 through the
  media campaign.)
• To service learning, promo9ting diversity, and
  leadership development at the high school level
  through the Youth Action Council. This year,
  membership in the YAC has grown from about 15
  active members to over 65.

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Programming spans

• To this year matching 14 Southwestern University
  students in 16 different service opportunities in
  our community who served more that 4,500 children
  and youth.
• Sites include Elementary and Middle schools,
  High School ESL program, Boys and Girls Club,
  Library, and Rec Center events.

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What Can You Do?How Can You Help?

• Recognize your part in supporting our children
  and youth.
• Help building assets in our youth.
• Give of your time Volunteer!
• Give of your talent In-kind services.
• Give of your till - is always welcome!

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Toody Byrd, Talks and Talks and Talks and Talks

• Through the years, I have found out something
• about kidsthey all basically have the same
  needs.
• They have a need to be loved.
• They have a need to achieve something and get
  recognition for it.
• They have a great need to be accepted however
  they are

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• Never doubt that a small group
• of thoughtful, committed citizens
• can change the world.
• Indeed,
• its the only thing that ever has.
• 
  
  - Margaret Mead

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Gene E. Davenport, Executive Director (512)
943-5198 davenportg_at_georgetownproject.com